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Eliot to head up Little Caesars Hockey

by
Alex DiFilippo
/ Detroit Red Wings

DETROIT – Little Caesars Amateur Hockey today announced the appointment of former NHL goaltender Darren Eliot as its new Director of Minor Hockey Operations. In his new role, Eliot will oversee the day-to-day operations of the Little Caesars AAA hockey program and the Little Caesars Amateur Hockey League (LCAHL), along with serving as the organization’s representative to USA Hockey, the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association (MAHA) and the High Performance Hockey League (HPHL).

Active in the growth of youth hockey in Metro Detroit, Eliot previously served as the Director of Programming and Communications for the Suburban Hockey Group, which houses more than 400 youth players at the travel and house level in Farmington Hills, Mich.

This March, the Detroit Red Wings announced its increased amateur youth hockey outreach by expanding its affiliation with the Little Caesars AAA Hockey program. The Red Wings management, coaches, player development personnel, training staff and alumni will share their expertise and the club’s facilities in creating programs designed to further the growth and development of the Little Caesars AAA coaches and players.

"I'm extremely excited to lead and continue the great legacy of Little Caesars hockey,” said Eliot. “There is no better or more recognizable youth hockey organization in the world than Little Caesars. Their commitment to excellence and developing young hockey players is second to none.”

Eliot, who logged 89 NHL games between the Los Angeles Kings, Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres, will continue his role as a hockey analyst during Red Wings broadcast on FOX Sports Detroit – a position he has held for the past two seasons.

Eliot was drafted in the sixth round (115th overall) by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft after a stellar collegiate career at Cornell University where the goaltender was an All-American, a two-time All-Ivy League selection, and was later inducted into the Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996. Academically, Eliot earned membership into Cornell’s Red Key Athlete Honor Society for students exemplifying excellence in academics and athletics.

About Little Caesars Amateur Hockey:

Michael and Marian Ilitch, the founders of Little Caesars Pizza, began sponsorship of amateur hockey in 1968. Little Caesars AAA teams have won 14 National Championships and 63 State of Michigan Titles while placing over 80 players in the National Hockey League and hundreds in the NCAA, OHL and top junior leagues throughout North America. The Little Caesars Amateur Hockey League was created in 1978 to increase the level of competitive play and provide more opportunities for metro Detroit youth hockey players. Today, the league consists of more than 600 travel and house teams with more than 11,000 youth hockey players. For more information, visit www.LittleCaesarsHockey.com or www.LCAHL.org.

About The Detroit Red Wings:

The Detroit Red Wings hockey club, an Original Six member of the National Hockey League and 11-time Stanley Cup Champion, was purchased by Michael and Marian Ilitch in 1982. Under Ilitch ownership, the team has won four Stanley Cup championships, six Presidents’ Trophies as the NHL’s regular season champion, and 16 division titles. Other Ilitch companies in the food, sports and entertainment industries include: Little Caesars Pizza, Blue Line Foodservice Distribution, Ilitch Holdings, Inc., Olympia Entertainment, Olympia Development, Little Caesars Pizza Kit Fundraising Program, Champion Foods and Uptown Entertainment. Michael Ilitch owns the Detroit Tigers. Marian Ilitch owns the MotorCity Casino Hotel. For more information, visit www.DetroitRedWings.com.